Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting I like to grate the carrots by hand actually, thats a lie,

, I dont enjoy it one bit because I want it very finely grated for a soft batter. The food processor works, too, but the pieces are a bit thicker. Makes 2 cupcakes !or one two"layer cake, instructions at end# 2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda $ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinna%on $&2 teaspoon ground nut%eg $ teaspoon ground ginger 2 cups sugar $ $& cups canola oil large eggs ' cups grated peeled carrots $ cups coarsely chopped walnuts !optional# $&2 cup raisins !optional# (reheat oven to ')*+$,-./. 0ine 2 cupcake %olds with papers, or butter and flour the%. 1hisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinna%on, nut%eg and ginger in %ediu% bowl to blend. 1hisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. 1hisk in eggs $ at a ti%e. 2dd flour %i3ture and stir until blended. 4tir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using the%. 5ivide batter a%ong cupcake %olds, filling '& of each. 6ake cupcakes $ to $7 %inutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one co%es out clean. 0et cool in pans for five %inutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. 0et cool co%pletely before icing the%. To %ake a carrot layer cake8 6utter two 9"inch"dia%eter cake pans instead of cupcake %olds. 0ine botto% of pans with wa3ed paper. 6utter and flour paper. tap out e3cess flour. 5ivide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about * %inutes each, or until a tester inserted into center co%es out clean. :ool cakes in pans $) %inutes. Turn out onto racks. (eel off wa3ed paper. cool cakes co%pletely. Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Two !7"ounce# packages crea% cheese, softened $ stick unsalted butter, roo% te%perature 2 cups confectioners sugar $& cup pure %aple syrup

In a stand %i3er beat all the ingredients on %ediu% until fluffy. :hill the frosting for $* to 2* %inutes, until it has set up enough to spread s%oothly. The spa;;y star decorations were created by putting the %aple crea% cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and dolloping away. 2n e3tra layer of dollops were piped nearer to the center, to create a do%ed effect. To asse%ble a carrot layer cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. /rost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. <efrigerate the cake for '* %inutes to set up frosting. /or the layer cake scenario, you will probably have a bit of leftover frosting, which you can tint and use for decorating, or save to s%ear on gingersnaps. 1hat, you dont do that too=